It seems a long time since David first invited us to come out to the Awutu-Winton school, and in that time we have had some unforgettable experiences, many hair raising Tro-Tro rides and a number of marriage proposals along the way. From start to finish, our experience with EDP has been incredible, from fundraising in Newcastle to meeting Harriet , James and Rachel and the staff and students at the school, without whom our trip would not have been so memorable.
Before jetting off to the (supposedly) sunny climes of Ghana, we were first tasked with trying to squeeze money out of notoriously hard-up students. This required some creativity, and a resilient (read: ignorant) attitude to the word ‘no’. We decided to organise our first fundraiser in February, and so was born the idea for anti-valentines speed dating. The concept was simple, involving 20 ladies and gents, some interesting chat-up lines and a copious amount of booze. Despite the reluctance of many, we managed to raise almost £200 from the first event, and everyone had a good time, so much so that we were asked to host another. In the meantime, we attempted to gather funds through sponsorship. Wanting to be original (and being too lazy to attempt any form of sponsored exercise) we opted for a sponsored abstinence from alcohol. This had mixed responses from our friends at Uni, although, disbelieving of the notion we could refrain from Newcastle’s notoriously cheap drinks, everyone decided to bet against our willpower, and we raised almost £500 between us (and undoubtedly improved our liver function). The second speed dating was another success, and at least one beautiful relationship was born from our matchmaking skills.
With fundraising completed, our arms bruised from immunisations and the arrival of our visas, we were ready to begin the trip. First impressions of Ghana? A sign in the arrivals hall reminding us that Ghana welcomes visitors of good intent, but any visitor with the intention of crime of paedophilia would be turned away. We were both relieved. A lengthy wait at the baggage carousel provided no luggage and an even lengthier wait at customer services revealed we would have to return to Accra (multiple times) in order to retrieve our belongings. It was a welcome relief when we eventually found Harriet in the arrivals hall and began the journey to Awutu, albeit sans clean underwear.
The following day was a day of many firsts; Our first trip to the school, our first ride in a tro-tro (hairy), our first taste of (what was to be one of many) meals of Indomie (tasty), and our first proper meeting with James and Famous (lovely). It was also the beginning of our work. Seeing the school and the rooms which we were to paint, for the first time, set our creativity in motion, and after a trip to Kasoa to buy paints, we were equipped to begin the mammoth task of painting the library. 3 days later and it was newly yellow, a controversial move perhaps, as we received mixed feedback on our colour choice. It was definitely much brighter. Over the course of the next four weeks we painted the Headmaster’s office, three classrooms and the staffroom, discovering along the way that blue was always preferable to yellow and turpentine DOES NOT remove paint from clothes/skin/hair. With the coaching of various teachers and other members of staff at Awutu-Winton, we were able to improve our paintings skills along the way. When we weren’t busy with paint rollers, we had some time to explore Ghana with Harriet, James and Rachel acting as guides-cum-drinking buddies. The weekends brought trips along the coast to Cape Coast and Kokrobite which gave us a chance to relax and see more of Ghanaian culture. We also discovered more about Ghana’s colonial history and its place in the transatlantic slave trade.
Less poignant, but a significant feature of our time in Ghana, was our introduction to the HBO series Game of Thrones. We would like to thank James Jacob for educating us in the world below the wall, for that we are eternally grateful. Aside from that highlight, one of the most enjoyable parts of our time at the school was painting murals in the three classrooms. We wanted to incorporate the global aspect of the school, in particular the links between Andover and Awutu. Our personal favourite depicted the school houses, Avon, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, the idea being that the students could see what their house names actually referred to. The students got really involved with the murals, and we had lots of help so it was particularly nice to receive such good feedback. We were both really pleased with the end product.
Overall, the 6 weeks we spent in Ghana were fantastic. Our time spent at the school was made special, not only because we were made to feel so welcome by everyone we encountered but because we were both so impressed by the work of the EDP for students who are so enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity of an education. We both felt lucky to be part of something so worthwhile, and would like to continue supporting the work of the EDP trust. Whether or not we can coerce our friends into another round of speed dating is debatable, but we would love to continue our fundraising efforts and move onto bigger and better things (sponsored streaking, anyone?). Finally, our trip would not have been the same without the lovely people we encountered along the way, including the staff and students at the school, in particular Famous who gave us constant encouragement and help! We are particularly grateful to Harriet, James and Rachel who put up with us occupying their living room floor, and guided us along the way. We’d like to say a big thank you to David and Inez for the opportunity to visit Ghana and the school– it has been amazing!
Sophie and Sinead
